Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it. (George Santayana) We learn from past mistakes only to make new ones. (A.J.P. Taylor) Tellingly, the cliche above that seems to encourage historical studies is the one that doesn’t come from a historian. Taylor is quoted by French historian Robert Zaretsky in a new piece for History News Network that … More Does History Teach Lessons?
Having previously written tributes to Clarence Jordan, Virgil Olson, and Will D. Campbell, our own favorite Baptist, G.W. Carlson, returns to celebrate another noteworthy Baptist: political scientist Walfred “Wally” Peterson, who served at the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty in between teaching stints at Bethel College and Washington State University. (G.W. previously wrote about … More Walfred Peterson: Champion of Religious Liberty (G.W. Carlson) – part 1
Fifty years ago this morning, American national security adviser McGeorge Bundy showed President John F. Kennedy photographs taken by U-2 spy planes that had flown over Cuba two days earlier. CIA analysts concluded that the photos revealed that the Soviet Union had succeeded in deploying medium-range ballistic missiles to bases within mere minutes’ flight of … More The Cuban Missile Crisis, 50 Years Later
In 1952 an African-American man named Eugene Allen joined the White House staff as a “pantry man,” washing dishes, stocking cabinets, and shining silverware for $2400 a year. Thirty-four years later, he retired as the Head Butler of the most famous residence in the United States, having served under Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, (LB) Johnson, … More Casting a Movie with Thirty Years of Presidential History
The Pietist Schoolman 